The Bible tells the story of a mother named Hannah.
Hannah has this blended, dysfunctional family in a neighborhood where people don’t appreciate her morals and values, and a church where the pastors are embezzling members’ offerings.
In the midst of this mess, Hannah is blessed with a child and we see her raising him as a believer. His name was Samuel. Hannah shows moms that they shouldn’t rely just on the church or on a perfect moral society to teach their children about God.
When Samuel was a boy, Hannah sent him off to become a pastor.
“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:27,28).
Samuel’s faith was strong, like hers. His passion for learning about God and God’s Word was curious and trusting, like hers. Those of you who have been blessed by the Christian nurture of parents, thank God for them.
Those of you who are Christian parents: our children are God’s children, on loan to us as they travel to their heavenly home. So it’s good to remember that they still belong to the Lord.
Hannah was giving the Lord what belonged to the Lord. It was the Lord who opened her womb, created her pregnancy, and blessed her with a healthy boy. But that boy, as all sons and all daughters, belonged to the Lord who was only loaning him to Hannah and Elkanah.
Parents, when your children are in middle school and they want to belong to all kinds of sports and belong to all kinds of clubs and belong to all kinds of friends and belong to all kinds of subscriptions for games and plans for mobile devices—remember, they first belong to the Lord.
Let them. Help them be who they really are, and what matters most. A child of God.
Then, when they go off to college or work or move across the country or the world, and they follow their own calling in life, and it’s time to let them go, remember that you are letting their heavenly Father care for them more, develop more of a direct relationship with them, and parent them in some special ways he couldn’t before because he was—for a time—relying on you.
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, you know more about my children than I will ever know, and love them more than I could ever hope. Guide my heart to love them, but not more than you. I want to trust you more, that you care for them always. Help me nurture them in faith and lead them to you. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: What is one thing you can do this week that will lead your child to God like Hannah led Samuel? If you don’t have kids, encourage your friends who have kids to do this, and be godly support for them.
